Author Archives: Athene Donald

Public Speaking Challenges

Posted on 12 July 2015 by Athene Donald

Technical glitches during talks are all too common, but never easy to cope with. Recently I had a simple talk to give, one which could safely be brought along on a memory stick to the event: I was giving a … Continue reading →

Posted in after-dinner, Communicating Science, disaster, iPad, pockets, Science Culture, speech | Comments Off on Public Speaking Challenges

A Basketful of Metrics?

Posted on 9 July 2015 by Athene Donald

For those who were involved with any aspect of REF2014, it had similarities to a slow speed nightmare. For those embroiled in preparing the submissions, not only was it extremely, ridiculously time-consuming, but it was also a heavy burden of … Continue reading →

Posted in HEFCE, James Wilsdon, REF, Research | Comments Off on A Basketful of Metrics?

How Do you Spend your Time?

Posted on 2 July 2015 by Athene Donald

Those of us academics working in UK universities will be familiar with the requirement to fill in forms every so often, accounting for how we spend our working week. Somehow we are supposed to account for every minute of that … Continue reading →

Posted in form-filling, references, Science Culture, TRAC analysis, Universities | Comments Off on How Do you Spend your Time?

What Next after Tim Hunt? (#just1action4WIS)

Posted on 15 June 2015 by Athene Donald

Last week the world erupted into a storm of outrage over remarks Sir Tim Hunt, Nobel Prize winner, made in Korea. Unacceptable, indefensible remarks. He has been made to resign from positions and committees for which he has worked so … Continue reading →

Posted in discrimination, Equality, personal responsibility, Royal Society, Science Culture, Women in science | Comments Off on What Next after Tim Hunt? (#just1action4WIS)

Faking It

Posted on 7 June 2015 by Athene Donald

I seem to have given a lot of talks recently in which the phrase ‘faking it’ sat at their heart. You will realise I am not referring to talks about protein aggregation, microscopy or other scientific subjects when the use … Continue reading →

Posted in career progression, independenc, Science Culture, self-confidence | Comments Off on Faking It

Science, Culture and All That Jazz

Posted on 31 May 2015 by Athene Donald

People seem to think that science and culture are two different things. Just as Stefan Collini, in his 2012 book ‘What are Universities for? ’ constantly referred to scientists and scholars, as if scientists were unable to join the (implied … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, Matthew Arnold, Melvyn Bragg, Science Culture, Two Cultures | Comments Off on Science, Culture and All That Jazz

How Broad is Broad?

Posted on 24 May 2015 by Athene Donald

Most conferences provide food for thought and my participation this week in the Global Scholars Symposium in Cambridge certainly fulfilled my expectations in this respect. Although I was meant to be the one doing the talking, there was also time … Continue reading →

Posted in career paths, interdisciplinarity, Research, Science Culture, Science policy | Comments Off on How Broad is Broad?

Do you have a sponsor? (Do you need one?)

Posted on 17 May 2015 by Athene Donald

I have been reading the book by Sylvia Ann Hewlett on sponsorship: (Forget a Mentor) Find a Sponsor. Sylvia very kindly gave me a copy of this book when I met her in March where we were both talking at … Continue reading →

Posted in advice, careers, mentors, Science Culture | Comments Off on Do you have a sponsor? (Do you need one?)

On the Loss of a Giant

Posted on 9 May 2015 by Athene Donald

At the turn of the year I wrote about the death of Ed Kramer, one of the two key people in my life who turned me into the person I am as a scientist. I am deeply saddened to learn … Continue reading →

Posted in Cavendish Professor, Science Culture, Sir Sam Edwards, soft matter physics | Comments Off on On the Loss of a Giant

Knowledge versus Experience

Posted on 4 May 2015 by Athene Donald

One of the things that is always said about teaching is that it shows you what you do or don’t know. You can’t flannel an explanation to a student who keeps asking probing questions though you may manage to do … Continue reading →

Posted in career progression, Communicating Science, mentoring, public speaking, Science Culture | Comments Off on Knowledge versus Experience